The Black Fire
by ErinMB
Summary: Wade and Mallory, two American teens from the 21st century, suddenly find themselves in Narnia. Read as the two teens and the king of Narnia race aginst time to protect an old Narnian treasure that was thought to be just a myth. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Eagle Mountain High School

All right, hi, this is my first Fanfic so I know it's not going to be the best, but it will get better if y'all read and review and send me ideas.

Author's Note: This adventure is about 2 teens from the U.S. in the 21st Century that suddenly find themselves in Na--wait, if I tell you then that would sort of ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? (Although I'm pretty sure you can already could guess where they will end up.) Now here's the thing I changed about the Chronicles….since I wanted the story to be about 2 teens from the _21st_ Century I had to pretend that Narnia didn't come to an end in _The Last Battle_ and thatTirian wasn't the last King of Narnia.

Disclaimer: None of Narnia is mine, no matter how much I wish it was. It all belongs to C.S. Lewis!

Well here it goes…….

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 1**

**Eagle Mountain High School**

It was a beautiful fall day at Eagle Mountain High School, almost one month after school started. The bell had just rung signaling the end of 4th period and the beginning of lunch, so everyone was hurrying off to the cafeteria.

"Hey, Mallory." It was Wade, and he got in lunch line right behind Mallory. Wade was a pretty nice guy, but sometimes misunderstood and he didn't have many friends either. He was one of the most brilliant freshmen at Eagle Mountain (not that Mallory wasn't a brilliant freshman either) and he was quite a book worm, too. Mallory thought he was a pretty good looking guy with his golden blond hair, a crooked smile, and gorgeous blue green eyes. Wade thought that Mallory didn't look that bad herself, in fact sometimes he thought that she was so pretty he wondered why she wasn't very popular, but then he would tell himself that he wouldn't know because he wasn't popular himself. Mallory had shoulder length blond hair that looked like the color of corn ready to harvest in the fall, warm honey colored eyes, and a smile that seemed to be contagious like the flu.

"Hi," Mallory said back.

"So, how do you like the play we're going to do in Drama Club?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I think it's kinda dumb. I mean, three kids wake up one morning to fine themselves in outer space in a different world than earth. And then there is a world war, good guys win and the three kids go home. The End." After Mallory said this she noticed Wade looked a little taken aback. "Oh, sorry, I take that you like it by the look on your face and all…"

"Well, sure I liked it."

"But don't you think Mrs. Dawn (she taught Drama Club) could have thought up a better play than that?"

"I know it's a bit rough around the edges, but when we perform it I think it will be all right."

"Whatever. I just can't believe she (Mrs. Dawn) is making 8th and 9th graders perform a play that involves a _fantasy_ world."

"What fun would the play be without a fantasy world?"

"I don't know. I just prefer reality, that all. It's not like suddenly finding that you've been transported to another world is actually _possible_."

"That's what you think," muttered Wade.

"What did you say?"

Wade paused a moment. "What would you say if I told you that it's not as impossible as you think?"

"What do you mean?"

And with that Wade cautiously looked around the cafeteria as if he didn't want anyone to hear the words he was about to say. "Come with me," he said and grabbed Mallory's wrist and walked out of the lunch line pulling Mallory behind him.

"Hey, in case you didn't notice I was waiting in the lunch line for my dinner. I'm really hungry, aren't you?"

"This will only take a few minutes." Mallory sighed.

By now Wade had pulled Mallory out of the cafeteria and was headed down to the theater. As you might have noticed both of them took Drama Club after school and Mrs. Dawn was the teacher (or president you could call her) and they were just beginning the winter play _The War in Outer Space _(the one Mallory described earlier). And when they walked into the theater Mallory said:

"Ok, so what are we doing here?"

"It's in the props room."

"What is?"

"You'll see."

As Mallory and Wade waked to the props room they could hear their foot steps on the wooden floors and when they talked earlier they could hear their voices echoing in the large room. Seconds later they stopped in front of the big wooden door labeled 'PROPS'.

"But won't it be locked?" Mallory asked just as Wade reached forward to turn the door handle. Mallory's question was soon answered when she heard the handle click and Wade swung the door open.

"Naw," Wade said, "the janitor never locks it unless he finds out that kids have been sneaking into here." Mallory could tell that he said the last part with a bit of a laugh and couldn't help but giggle herself.

"Here is it," said Wade as he and Mallory walked through the doorway, pointing to the huge trunk lined up against the western wall.

"And what so special about that trunk?"

"Well once," Wade began," actually I shouldn't say once because it was just last week, Greg Peterson was chasing me down because in biology he was trying to cheat off my test, but Mr. Schmee caught him so he got a zero and Greg seemed to think that it was my fault that he was caught. And I could tell that when the bell rung I would be history if I didn't find place to hide. So the bell rings and I bolt out of the biology lab still not knowing where I was going to hid or what I was going to do, but I knew that Greg was chasing right after me. And by the time I got down to the end of the hall way I had no choice but to hide in the theater because I was getting tired. So I ran in through the double doors and would have collapsed on the floor if I hadn't heard Greg fumbling with the door handle, and since the props room was the closest door, that's where I went--."

"Wade," interrupted Mallory, "where is this story going exactly? I want to get back to lunch before it's over." She was beginning to get bored and a little bit suspicious about this whole thing and Wade could tell by the tone of her voice.

"I'm almost done. Now where--oh yeah. So I burst into the props room, but I knew Greg saw me run inside because I could hear his footsteps coming closer to the door every second. And before I knew what I was doing I was crawling into this trunk (Wade pointed to the trunk again). And while I was trying to get comfortable I realized that something wasn't quite right, but I didn't know what until I tried to lie down on my stomach. When I put my head down I almost sneezed because I just rubbed my nose in something that felt and smelled like _grass_. So I stood up and immediately knew I wasn't in the trunk anymore because when I looked around I saw I was standing in a clearing in a wood and in the center of the clearing there stood an old fashioned lamp post ,but it didn't appear to look like it worked anymore. Then I decided to go look around and I didn't get far when I heard a really loud rumbling noise that sounded like a waterfall. But when I started walking towards the waterfall I saw something about the size of a cat that was brown and furry, scurry up a nearby tree. I thought it almost looked like a giant squirrel. And before I went one step further--."

"Wade this is all, uh _really _interesting, but now I really have to go. I'm starving! And maybe you should think of stopping by the nurse's office…"

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, sorry, I don't," said Mallory shaking here head as she walked to the door and Wade sat down on the trunk. _Probably going to start sulking when I leave_ thought Mallory. But as she turned the door handle she couldn't help but think that Wade _wasn't_ making everything up. _After all why would he want lie to me?_

Then Mallory turned to Wade. "See ya at Drama Club, Wade."

"Yeah," he said. Mallory thought that he looked sort of hurt because she didn't believe him, but she was wrong.

And with that Mallory walked out the door, closing it behind her and was headed back to the cafeteria.

But when Mallory left, Wade wasn't sulking like she thought he was going to, instead his mind was spinning with tons of ideas and thoughts on how he might be able to get Mallory to come with him to this 'other world'. And when a perfect plan arrived in his brain, he couldn't help but start thinking some of it out loud.

'Today, in Drama Club….I'll, yes. And then she'll see….and follow me. Perfect!" Wade exclaimed and ran out of the props room and then the theater hoping that he could still get something to eat before 5th hour started. He had a plan, and his spirits were gradually rising but knew the rest of the school day was going to go very slowly because he was waiting for that afternoon--for Drama Club.

Author's Note: So what do you think? I know the first chapters are going to be a bit boring, but I promise they will get better, I PROMISE! Remember to please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2: Into Narnia

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 2**

**Into Narnia**

_Oh, finally!_ ,thought Mallory as she walked to the theater that afternoon for Drama Club. She had been looking forward to it ever since she got back to the cafeteria during lunch, after just being in the props room with Wade because when she was eating her dinner, she convinced herself that there really was another world. When Wade started telling her about being in this other world, there was something inside of her that told her it all was real, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. So since Mallory had no classes with Wade, she thought that during Drama Club would be the best time to tell Wade that she actually believed him.

And when Mallory entered the theater she wasn't surprised to see complete chaos. _Well, that's what Mrs. Dawn gets when she decides to combine the 8th graders into the 9th grade Drama Club, _Mallory thought.

She was just about to take a seat in one of the folding chairs set up on the stage when she saw Wade walking in one of the passage ways out of the corner of her eye. _Perfect! _Mallory said to herself. _No one else is in the passage way so I can talk to him about this other world without anyone hearing what we are talking about and thinking we're nut cases._

So Mallory instantly changed the direction in which she was walking and was soon walking in the same passage way as Wade and was just about to tell him to wait up, when he paused right in front of the props door, then turned and made brief eye contact with Mallory and walked right into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Then it dawned on Mallory. She realized what Wade was trying to do. He was going to lead her into the props room and he would crawl into the trunk and when Mallory came in she would see that no one was there and would assume he was in the other world. And Mallory knew that Wade knew all about her immense curiosity and would expect her to follow him and then she would be in… _That little sneak_! _Am I really that easy to figure out? _Mallory asked herself. _Oh well._

Mallory continued walking to the props room and went right in, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. Then she walked over to the trunk and crawled inside without even thinking twice about what she _really_ might be getting herself into.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Mallory, "I just can't believe that all of this is actually--_real_." Mallory had just arrived in the clearing with the lamp post and it was beginning to get dark in the wood but she and Wade were still able to see. Mallory was just about to go and chew Wade out for trying to trick her into coming here when Wade asked her if she had ever seen a waterfall.

"No, I haven't ever seen a waterfall."

"Well, do you want to see one?" asked Wade.

"Sure, but how do you know there is one here?"

"I've been here before, remember? And I heard a loud rumbling that sounded like it had to be a waterfall."

"Oh…yeah. That's what you were telling me during lunch. Sorry I cut you off when you were in the middle of it. I shouldn't have been so rude."

"Don't think anything of it. We're here now, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"No. I just--I _really_ am sorry about not believing you at first and being so rude about it," Mallory said and gently placed her hand on Wade's shoulder. "So, let's find that waterfall."

Wade was about to grab Mallory's wrist like he did in the cafeteria but instead took her hand. "Follow me."

So they walked hand in hand as Wade lead the way to where the thought the waterfall was. When they could begin to hear the rumbling of water, Mallory couldn't help herself, she just had to run. So now Mallory was leading Wade and when they finally burst through the last line of trees in the wood, their breaths were almost taken away by the beautiful sight in front of them. There was the most magnificent waterfall you could ever imagine, its water was crystal blue and there were beautiful flowers and plants along the edges that made it look even more beautiful. And they were up so high! They could see more trees than either of them had ever seen in their lives, which eventually (the trees) formed huge forests and beyond the forests was the sea. And the sea looked like it had no end, as if it just melted into the sky.

"Look!" said Wade, pointing to the sky.

"The moon! It looks like it's almost full (it was the moon that had been giving them enough light to see all this time). See the strange shadows it casts on the sea?"

"Yeah, and look at the stars! Is it just me or do the moon and the stars look so much bigger here?"

"No, I think they really are bigger."

"Or otherwise we're closer."

"Maybe."

So Wade and Mallory just stood there, still holding hands, taking in all of the glorious sights around them, but if only, if only…. If only there was a bit more light, they might have been able to see, lurking out in those peaceful waters, a terrible danger, _the one danger that, or should I say whom, could make even the bravest sailors quiver with fear if seen_, they might have been able to prevent nearly all of the danger in this adventure that was soon to come. But what good, might I ask, is an adventure without danger?

**Author's Note:** Please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3: King of Narnia

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 4**

**King of Narnia**

_Thump, clump, thump, clump, thump, clump…_

"What's that?" Mallory asked Wade, with a hint of fear in her voice.

"I'm not sure, let's just listen for a minute."

"It sounds like a horse."

"I think you're right, but we ca--."

"Shhhh," hissed Mallory, "someone's talking."

"Jaq, what exactly did this _intruder_ look like?" said a voice that sounded like a young man.

"Why, it looked very much human," said a high squeaky voice, "but it was wearing the strangest looking attire I have ever seen."

The voices and the horse were now coming closer and Wade and Mallory could see a faint outline of what was coming in their direction. Wade knew that he and Mallory couldn't run into the wood to hide (they were still standing in the open by the waterfall) because they would surely be seen.

"Oh, stop here your majesty! This is where I saw the intruder," this high squeaky voice said," it was standing right at the waterfall."

"All right, Jaq," replied the young man and quietly dismounted the horse. Mallory and Wade figured whom ever the squeaky voice belonged to was perched on the young man's shoulder. Cautiously the young man walked a few steps nearer the waterfall and as if it was a natural reaction, Wade and Mallory tried to take a few steps away from the young man, but Wade accidentally stepped on Mallory's food, and she let out a soft whimper of pain.

"Who goes there?" boomed the young man's voice and appeared to have drawn a sword from his side.

"Ah, sir," began Wade in a shaky voice," we are just two kids."

"Step closer so I can see you."

Mallory and Wade obeyed. There was scraping noise and then a light appeared, for the young man had lit a lantern. It was then that Mallory and Wade could see what stood before them: there was a young man who looked only a few years older than Wade and Mallory. He had a cheerful face, bright green eyes, and short brown hair, and was wearing a mail shirt with a golden Lion in a sea of red on the front. Mallory also noticed his sword was no longer drawn; it was resting safely at his side (neither Mallory nor Wade had seen him put it away). And there perched on his left shoulder was a squirrel, a very large squirrel at that matter, which was carrying a bow and a quiver full of arrows. (The high squeaky voice obviously belonged to the squirrel and if you were reading carefully you would have realized his name was Jaq.) Jaq seemed to have a curious look on his face as his eyes examined Mallory and Wade before he exclaimed in a very shrill voice:

"Your majesty, that is him! He is the intruder I saw this afternoon! They are both intruders!"

"Jaq, settle down! Neither of them are intruders; just a couple of kids."

"If your majesty's sure…"

"Now what are your names?" the young man asked Wade.

By now Wade thought there wasn't really anything to be afraid of and answered him with ease.

"That's Mallory," he said motioning to Mallory," and I'm Wade, sir."

"No need to call me 'sir'. My name is King Matthew of Narnia, and that's Jaq."

"You're a king?" Mallory blurted out, "Why you hardly look old enough to be _king_!"

"I hear that quite often," laughed King Matthew, "I'm only 16 you know, but I am indeed a king. Now, how old might the two of you be?"

"We're both 14," replied Mallory.

"And how, might I ask, did you come to arrive in Narnia?"

So Wade and Mallory told King Matthew how they came to arrive in Narnia by crawling through the bottom of a trunk.

"Very interesting," King Matthew said when they finished their story. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"From the United States," answered Wade.

"Never heard of it."

"Excuse me, King Matthew of Narnia," began Wade, "could we just call you Matt? It would become a real mouthful if we had to call you King Matthew of Narnia all the time."

"Why or course you can! Now I do believe that you both should come back with me to my castle, Cair Paravel, where you can eat and get some rest."

"All right," said Wade.

"Sounds good to me," Mallory chimed in.

"Now we all can't possible ride on my horse, Victory. So Wade and I shall walk and the lady Mallory may ride on Victory if she wishes."

"If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to never be called a lady again because as I recall, I told you I was 14," said Mallory in a matter of fact voice, "And no, I'll walk with the two of you."

"Quite a feisty one," Matt (as I may call him) whispered to Wade.

"I haven't lost my hearing, you know," shot Mallory with a grin on her face.

"Yeah, but you get used to her," Wade said to Matt and they both started laughing.

"Ha, ha," mimicked Mallory.

"Now let us be off," ordered Matt.

"I must be off, now too your majesty," replied Jaq as he jumped off Matt's shoulder.

"Very well then, Jaq," said Matt,"Take care."

"Bye, Jaq!" said Mallory and Wade in unison.

Jaq nodded his head at them and he quickly scurried off into the wood with his brown fluffy tail twitching behind him.

"Well now let's go," said Matt, putting out the lantern, which startled Wade and Mallory because they had forgotten that it had been the lantern giving them light to see. It was now noticeably darker than it had been when Wade and Mallory arrived in Narnia. After everyone's eyes adjusted to the darkness Matt took Victory's reigns and the small group started out to Cair Paravel.

A/N: PLEASE R & R! Wouldn't _somebody_ like to be my first reviewer?


	4. Chapter 4: Cair Paravel

Well, I finally updated. I actually had this written for a while I just never got to typing it. School starts in 4 days for me so I don't know how long it will be before I update again, but I'll try my best.

**Disclaimer**: Nothing of Narnia is mine.

Hey, thanks for all the helpful reviews! That is what I call really useful constructive criticism! Now I will begin…

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 5**

**Cair Paravel**

Wade, Mallory, Matt, and Victory had been walking for nearly one hour now, but Mallory thought it seemed like _much_ longer. The steady _thump, clump, thump, clump… _of Victory's hoofs had almost lulled her to sleep. Matt said it was about 5 miles from the waterfall to Cair Paravel, but Mallory thought he must have been bluffing. Besides being extremely tired, the muscles in her legs were beginning to ache, and she was famished. _I wonder if Matt would still let me ride Victory. _Mallory thought. She was just about to ask Matt this when something else entered her mind. _But Wade might think I'm a wimp if I don't walk with the two of them….WOAH!...Where did that come from! Why do I care what Wade would think? _Mallory tried to brush that thought aside, but it wasn't as easy as she hoped it would be. But she never did ask Matt if the invitation to ride Victory was still available…

Meanwhile, Wade had been busy asking Matt questions about himself and what it was like to be a king. Wade came to the conclusion that Matt didn't like being king very much or even royalty for that matter; he didn't being treated differently than other Narnians. Matt also came to a conclusion of his own; that Wade couldn't (or maybe wouldn't) stop talking except when he took a breath of air between questions. The truth is when Mallory becomes really tired, she gets cranky and doesn't like to talk to anyone, but on the other hand when Wade gets tired, he talks and talks and talks. Only when they began climbing a hill, larger than any others they had scaled that night, did Wade stop talking. After they reached the top, Wade was about to ask Matt how much further they had to travel to reach Cair Paravel, when Matt took advantage of Wade's silence.

"Friends, I'd like to welcome you to Cair Paravel," the king said, gesturing his hands in front of them. Yet again, the two American teens were left speechless. There stood the most spectacular castle looking over the sea either had ever seen before. Numerous torches and lanterns were lit outside the castle, but only a few windows from were shining brightly with light from inside. With these sources of light Mallory and Wade could see what the rest of the castle looked like. Cair Paravel had towers every which way you looked. And flags! There had to be _hundreds_ of them, big and small, majestically fluttering in the light breeze, and each had a golden Lion in a sea of red printed on them just like Matt's mail shirt. Lush green gardens were also to be seen, scattered around the castle, with a cheerful bursts of exotic and colorful flowers and plants. Some shrubs were even trimmed in the shape of the golden Lion, which seemed to be everywhere. There was only one way Mallory and Wade could only think of one way to sum this all up.

"Wow."

"Wow," repeated Wade as they climbed down the other side of the hill, coming closer to Cair Paravel with every step they took. There was a brief silence. Then the frequent appearance of the golden Lion just then seemed to register in his head. He just _had_ to ask.

"What's up with that Lion?" he questioned, "It seems to be everywhere."

"That Lion! _That Lion!_" said Matt as if it was the stupidest question that no one would dare to ask for fear of looking extremely ignorant. "_That Lion_, created that very ground your treading on and _all _of Narnia. _That Lion _is the son of the Emperor across the Sea; the lamb and the Lion. _That Lion's _name is Aslan." At that moment everyone fell silent, even the swishing of Victory's tail ceased, for she seemed to know the importance of Aslan; Mallory and Wade had suddenly been filled with a strange, yet wonderful feeling. They felt a bit scared of the name at first, but the joy and happiness overpowered the fear. They both thought this feeling was strangely familiar, but had no idea as to why.

"That Lion," chuckled Matt almost at a whisper, while shaking his head. "He'll often drop in, but no one has seen him around in these parts in _many _years. Actually, I've never seen him in my life, but there is just _something_ that always makes you feel he's there."

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When they arrived at the castle, Matt had a stable hand take Victory to the stables for the night. Then the other three entered Cair Paravel and were surprised to find it mostly deserted, except for a few maids and butlers. Everyone else had turned in for the night; it was well past midnight so it was no wonder why. Wade and Mallory were again struck with awe for the third time that night when they walked through Cair Paravel's main entrance--huge, wooden, double doors--and were still trying to absorb all of the wondrous things around them as Matt gave them the _grand tour_. Throughout the hallways and rooms there were marble floors and pillars of many different colors. And there were beautiful stained glass windows displaying Aslan and other magical creatures that Wade and Mallory only knew about from fairy tales they heard when they were younger. Neatly scattered about were flowers of every kind you could imagine arranged in vases on small decorative tables, and hundreds of paintings were hung on the walls. Big marble statues were also found placed here and there, many times near a corner. And to their surprise they found several fountains flowing inside.

Matt decided that they would all eat in the kitchen. He had one of the royal cooks prepare them a wonderful meal. There were fruits and steamed vegetables, an assortment of at least 8 different meats, bread and biscuits, cheeses, pies, and wine or water to drink, but neither Wade nor Mallory had very much wine because they thought it had such a foul taste since they never had it before. When everyone had their fill, Matt showed the other two their bedrooms. Wade's room was on the right and had an emerald color scheme; Mallory's was on the left, two doors down and had a yellow color scheme. Both of them thought their own room looked _much_ better than any five star hotel room they could imagine. When Matt asked what a five star hotel was, they just laughed. Then the king showed them his bedroom and office just so they'd know where to find him in an emergency. After that, Matt walked Wade and Mallory back to their bedrooms. When they each entered their own rooms to get ready for bed they found a pair of pajamas laid out on their beds, but they looked much different than the pajamas they were used to, but neither cared all that much. After they each changed and carelessly thrown their clothes on to the floor, they crawled into their big, comfortable beds and were asleep before their heads hit the pillow.

**A/N:** Well, that was chapter 5, tell me what you think. I've already got most of chapter 6 done and it will be much more interesting and longer than this one. Please R&R!


	5. Chapter 5: The Medallion

Wow! I got this done faster than I thought I would. And thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 6**

**The Medallion**

"G'morning, Wade," greeted Mallory as Wade stepped out of his bedroom door the next morning. Wade's eyes were adjusting to the bright, sunshine filled hallway of Cair Paravel when he stepped out of his room. He was just about to reply when he looked at Mallory; he felt his heart do a flip and then he did a double take.

"Mallory, you…you look…, ah…nice dress." Wade just couldn't help himself from staring. Mallory looked so beautiful, but decided to keep that thought to himself. She was wearing the dress that was presented to her earlier that morning. The dress was light turquoise and it had a boat neck neck line that was trimmed with lace. The bottom of the dress was also trimmed with lace. The dress was so long Wade couldn't even see Mallory's shoes. Her hair was twisted into a loose bun near the top of her head and a few strands were left hanging down, faming her face.

Mallory seemed puzzled by Wade's response. "_You like this dress?_"

Wade didn't respond; he continued staring at Mallory.

"Wade?"

"Oh, well…, ah, Iwouldn'twanttowearitofcourse, but itlooksgreatonyou." He could feel himself begin to blush and was starting to feel _very_ embarrassed.

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." Wade was also wearing the clothes that were presented to him that morning. There was a black velvet coat, trimmed with golden colored fabric and buttons gold in color. Underneath the coat was a white shirt and Wade's pants were also white. For shoes he was wearing tall, black, leather boots that nearly reached his knees. Then Mallory noticed Wade's hair. Today he didn't have it spiked up as usual; instead he wore it naturally. Mallory sighed. _Very nice._ She concluded. Now it was her turn to blush because she just realized she had been staring at Wade.

"What?" Wade questioned. A slow smile then crept across his lip. "You like what you see?" He continued, in hopes of trying to make Mallory blush even more.

Mallory could feel heat rushing to her cheeks and knew she must be blushing furiously. She knew how she would answer that question, but dared not say anything. Wade gave a satisfied smile when she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Should we go find Matt, then?"

"Sure. My guess is he's in his office."

The pair decided to walk to Matt's office in hopes of finding him. When they knocked on his office door and heard footsteps, they knew Wade guessed correctly. The door handle slowly turned and the door swung open.

"Mallory, Wade! Good morning!" said Matt happily.

"Morning," replied Wade.

"G'morning, beautiful day isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Now if you'll just wait a moment while I pull my boots on, we can go to breakfast together. Matt was wearing an outfit similar to Wade's: a dark green coat trimmed with golden colored fabric and golden buttons that complimented his green eyes wonderfully, a white shirt underneath it, sand colored pants, and brown knee high leather boots. And on his head sat the king's golden crown, set with diamonds and emeralds. Mallory thought he looked just as handsome as Wade. In fact if she was to choose which one looked better, she didn't think she could decide.

As Matt pulled on his first boot, Mallory and Wade were examining the contents of the king's office. There were books--big and small--scattered everywhere, on the floor, on his desk, or in bookcases. Along with the books, were papers carelessly thrown all over the place. There were also many portraits hung on the walls of Matt's predecessors--the earlier kings and queens of Narnia. Wade was busy viewing the portraits, when a group of four caught his eye. _How does that work? _Puzzled Wade thought as he studied their names. _High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy._

"Matt, how can there be two kings and queens at the same time?" he questioned, motioning to the four portraits. Matt walked over with only one boot on his foot, to the four pictures. He looked at them with great admiration.

"Ah, King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant. They were the four that filled the thrones at Cair Paravel many centuries ago, riding Narnia from the evil White Witch. To this day they are considered four of the greatest rulers in Narnian history." Wade gave a satisfied nod.

Meanwhile, Mallory was looking at the many trinkets and ornaments, odds and ends, that were laying on Matt's desk, when one of them caught her attention: it was a golden medallion with about a two inch diameter. It had many intricate designs engraved on it, and carefully set in the gold were several large, beautiful, sparkling diamonds. Mallory thought it had to be one of the most gorgeous pieces of jewelry she had ever seen. Matt had just finished answering Wade's question when Mallory asked one of her own.

"Where did you get this?" Matt walked over to his desk and saw the medallion Mallory as pointing at, then gently picked it up between his hands.

"This I actually _found_."

"Oooh," was about all Mallory could say. Seconds later Wade walked over to see what the others were doing.

"When I was about seven years old, I was exploring on the beach near a cave when I found it," Matt explained as he held the medallion up to the morning sunlight that was streaming through one of the many windows in his office. All eyes were on the medallion. Then one of the sun's rays reflected off the beautiful item and instantly it seemed to sparkle majestically casting a sunny and cheerful glow in the room, but at the same time this glow seemed strange and mysterious, as if it were holding a secret. Mallory and Wade were completely mesmerized by this, but the king whom had seen this before continued talking.

"When I came back to the castle, I showed it to my--" Matt paused and took a deep breath and slightly lowered his head, "--my father. He told me he wouldn't be surprised if it once belonged to a pirate because many years before I was born, pirates sailed the seas and often unloaded their treasures in caves near the shoreline. His guess was that when the pirates were driven out of Narnia by my grandfather, who at that time was king, in all of the rush of them trying to bring their loot back on their boats this piece was left behind or dropped. Then _my father_ told me that there were probably more pieces that never made it back to the boat either. I was greatly excited by that bit of information, so the next day I went back to the beach in search of more pirate treasure. I searched for weeks, and found many useless items, but never anything like _this_."

"How disappointing," said Mallory, eyes still on the medallion.

"Yeah," added Wade, whose eyes were too, still glued to the medallion. Matt nodded his head in agreement.

"You like it?" Matt asked Mallory.

"Oh, yeah."

Matt then tossed the medallion into the air and smoothly caught it in his right hand. "You like it, you can have it."

"I couldn't," Mallory protested.

"No, _really_, can have it," Matt replied as he slipped the long golden chain around her neck. The medallion hung just below her breasts and she thought it was the perfect compliment to her dress. As Wade saw Matt slipped the medallion around Mallory's neck, Wade couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous that she got something and he didn't. Matt noticed his jealousy, but he was already planning on giving something to Wade also.

"_Thank you_," Mallory said sincerely.

"And Wade, this is for you." Matt handed Wade what looked like a very old, small flashlight. "I had never seen anything like this before I found it. It seems to be a 'flameless torch,' for when you push the button it produces a light."

Wade was holding the 'flameless torch' between his hands, examining it carefully. He then pushed the button on its side and sure enough, it gave off a bright light. He then began to laugh. "This is called a _flashlight_. It runs on batteries and the light comes from the light bulb." Matt was completely amazed by this. "You said you'd never seen anything like this before, right, Matt?"

"Right."

"Strange. So it mustn't be from Narnia then."

"You mean, it's something from _your_ world," Matt asked, confused.

"I think so."

"Wade," said Mallory, "look at the engraving on the button. _CHALLENGE_, wasn't that a flashlight company in the 1930's and 40's?" Wade turned the flashlight on its side so he could read the writing.

"Yep, it's a _CHALLENGE_ flashlight alright."

"Well, that means it's gotta be from your world and be at least 60 years old because they don't make them like this anymore; it's got a walleye lens and everything."

Wade nodded his head. "But why is a flashlight this old, and from our world, doing in Narnia?"

"This _is_ strange. And it still works, too."

"Wade, can I see the flashlight a moment?" Wade handed the flashlight back to Matt.

"Look," he said. Wade and Mallory stepped closer, trying to get a better look at what he was showing them. They all looked at the spot where his thumb was resting, and could clearly see the letters 'Ed.'

"Ed?"

"_No…_," Matt then scraped his thumb nail over the letters, removing some rust that was covering up the rest of the letters. "_Edmund Pevensie_."

"_Edmund Pevensie_? That's not another company, is it?"

"No, I think it's a name. I _know_ it's a name." Mallory gave a frustrated sighe and the other two could tell that she was thinking very hard by the look on her face. "I've heard it before, _somewhere…_" her voice trailing off.

"Well, the only Edmund I've heard of is King Edmund," Matt said, gesturing to his portrait hanging on the wall. Mallory walked over to the picture. He had brown--almost black--hair and blue eyes, but something grabbed her attention: on the very bottom of the frame was a small tag that read:

_King Edmund, 1000--1015_

Mallory thought it was odd that his years of power weren't very long. Her eyes then moved to the portrait on its right.

_Queen Lucy, 1000--1015_

She then looked to the left of King Edmund's picture; two more portraits.

_High King Peter, 1000--1015_

and

_Queen Susan, 1000-1015_

It was then she noticed those portraits were in a group of four and they all had the same dates next to their names. Mallory, just like Wade, was puzzled by this. _How could this be?_

Matt could see the confusion building up on her face and knew what she was about to ask. So he told her what he explained to Wade minutes earlier.

"Well that answers only one of my questions. But, did they all die in the same year, since they all ended their rule in 1015?"

"Actually, one day they all _disappeared_," Matt snapped his fingers, "just like that."

"_Strange_," Wade commented.

"But it gets even stranger. I've read in some of my history books that hundreds of years later they suddenly returned to Narnia, but they didn't look like they did when they were last seen here. They looked nearly the same as on the day of their coronation

"But how is that possible?" Mallory asked.

"You got me."

All of a sudden Wade's stomach gave a long and hollow groan. He gave a sheepish grin. "What can I say? I'm starving!" Mallory and Matt began to laugh. Then his stomach gave another groan only this time louder and longer than the first.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a--"

"Sorry Wade, you are _not_ going to eat _any_ of my horses!" This made Mallory laugh even harder. She was laughing so hard her eyes were beginning to water and her stomach muscles were starting to ache. Wade himself was laughing with the two of them, but his eyes were drawn to Mallory. _She looks even more beautiful when she laughs. _

"All right, just let me pull my other boot on, and then we'll go and eat."

**A/N:** So what did ya think? Hum, where has Mallory heard Edmund Pevensie before? What role will the flashlight play in my fanfic? Why doesn't Matt like to talk about his father? And what's up with the medallion? Don't forget to R&R!


	6. Chapter 6: Arguments and Apologies

**Note, 12/25/05: I took a few lines out near the end of this chapter because I didn't want Mal to say "now he probably won't ever want to go out with me" or whatever I had her say. I did that cause I don't Mal to 'like' like Wade just yet. I want it to dawn on her later in the story. So, as of now she just likes him as a _friend_. If there are other parts in other chapters that strongly suggest that Mal 'like' likes Wade, please let me know so I can get rid of them. So, to sum this up Mal likes Wade as a friend, but Wade 'like' likes Mal as possibly more than a friend. Does that make sense?**

**WOW! I _finally_ updated! I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Narnia--it all belongs to Lewis**

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 6**

**Arguments and Apologies**

"And this is my friend Whimbeldon." Whimbeldon stretched out one of his pudgy hands and grasped Wade's hand and shook it violently. Then grabbed Mallory's and did the same. Matt, Mallory, and Wade had just walked down to the dining hall and had an extravagant meal and were being introduced to some of Matt's friends and colleagues that were also guests at Cair Paravel. Whimbeldon was one of them.

"It's, um, very nice to meet you, Whimbeldon," Mallory struggled to say politely and cast Wade a glance which meant he should greet him also.

"Yes, it's a pleasure."

"Naw, the pleasure's all mine. Look, I'd like to stay and chat, but I must track down a companion of mine. We have some unfinished business to attend to. In fact there she is now."

All their eyes shifted to where Whimbeldon's gaze was fixed, only to find an extremely tall woman with red hair standing near the doors of the dining hall. Whimbeldon began to frantically wave his arms in the air.

"Dee-mee-tra," he sang as his short legs carried him to Demetra as fast as they could. When Whimbeldon was out of earshot, Mallory was the first to speak.

"What a," Mallory paused as she searched for the right word, "_pleasant_ man."

"Oh, you get used to him. He's really a nice fellow."

"_Right…_," Wade commented under his breath, as they began to dodge their way through the crowded hall. _How many people are in here?_ He thought. It was nearly impossible to tell. Mallory was beginning to wonder the same thing when she stumbled over the hem of her dress and seconds later a strange man bumped into her, nearly causing her to loose her balance. The man looked up at Mallory,

"Excuse me, Miss. I wasn't watching where--" The man stopped abruptly and Mallory realized that this black-haired man was staring at something on the front of her dress. She then got a disgusted look on her face. _What a perverted man! Why I should slap him across the face! _She was deciding whether she should do just that when she looked at the front of her dress, and realized he was staring at the medallion Matt had given her. The teenager slowly raised her eyes, surveying this man, when they looked at his eyes. They were filled with greed. The man seemed to be in a daze, then he suddenly snapped back to reality. "Where did you get that?" he questioned. His hand slowly started to move toward the medallion. Mallory quickly clasped it firmly between her hands and hurried away to find her two friends. She wondered if she had been a bit too rude, but she just wanted to get away from that man. She came to find the others in the hallway. Matt was talking politics with a heavy set man standing a few paces away from the doorway. Wade, however, was found near the corner, fiddling with one of the roses that he had taken out of the vase that was sitting on the table.

"Wade!" Mallory exclaimed as she approached him. Wade was startled and spun around, bumping into the table and dropping the yellow rose. She stifled a laugh as Wade picked the rose up off the floor and put it back into the vase.

"Where did you go?"

"I was still in the hall. This very strange man bumped into me," Mallory began and told Wade the whole ordeal.

"Don't you think you should tell Matt?"

"It's not that big of deal. I'm just curious as to who he is."

"Who, who is?" asked Matt. The other two were so busy talking, they didn't realize Matt had finished his conversation and came up to them.

"This man that I bumped into. He had black hair that was pulled back into a pony tail, small dark eyes, and a hoop earring in one year, and…"

"I believe that would have been Broady. I honestly don't know much about the man. I don't even know where he lives."

"Hmm, oh well." Mallory was trying to brush the subject aside. "What should we do next?"

"How about we go and visit Victory?"

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

Matt was in the lead as they took a stroll out to the stables. The king walked up to the stable door and opened it, motioning for Wade and Mallory to enter first. The inside of the stable looked marvelous. It was a royal stable alright! The building was constructed of red mahogany and had, of course, flags with Aslan embroidered on them, fluttering in the light wind. On the inside all the horse's stalls had the rather large resident's name engraved on a golden plate attached to their door. There were about 16 in all. 

"Mallory, freeze!" Wade said. She was just about to put her foot down.

"Oh, how nice…they left us some presents."

"Perhaps this wasn't the best idea," suggested Matt, "Maybe we should have gone to the gardens."

"No, really. It's fine."

"Only if you're sure, Mallory."

The friends continued to walk down the hall formed between the stalls. They stopped at the 7th stall on the right hand side. There stood Victory, as beautiful as ever, and was obviously happy to have some visitors. He had the blackest of black hair, and his mane and tail were trimmed to perfection. His big brown eyes seemed peaceful and understanding, yet mysterious, like they could look right into our soul.

"Hey, Victory! You good ol' boy." Victory reached his head over the stall door and nuzzled Matt's hand. Matt then turned to face the others, and he began to speak in a hushed voice. "Alright, the real reason I brought you both here: when do you plan on going home?" Those words seemed to be like a brick of cold ice that suddenly struck the two Americans. "It's not that I want you to leave so soon, but your sudden appearance at Cair Paravel has raised many questions, and I'm beginning to run out of lies to answer them."

"I think we should leave tonight."

"Hey," Mallory protested, "who says you get to make all the decisions, Wade? What if I want to stay a little longer, huh?"

"And why shouldn't I be? After all, I _am_ six months older than you."

The king took a step back and ran his hand through his brown hair. He knew what was about to happen and there was no way he could stop it.

'So! People younger than you can make wonderful decisions, such as myself."

Wade knew she was right. She was a good decision maker _and_ an awesome leader. How could he make Mallory realize he was right? He wanted to get home; there was just something that made him want to leave. Like something bad was going to happen.

"Maybe, but _I_ am a man."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm a girl, so what?" Mallory then gasped. "That is _so_ sexist!"

Again, Wade knew Mallory was right. He probably shouldn't have said that. It did make him sound like he was being sexist. But, yet he still felt like he had to make Mallory believe he was right--that they should leave tonight.

"Ah, but _I_ am taller."

"That doesn't mean a thing! I'm proud of being short!" Mallory was beginning to get very angry with Wade. He was acting so lame. She rolled her eyes. _Five foot three isn't all that short! I mean, what is he? Five foot six? Seven? _Then a sly smile appeared on Wade's face. Mallory was right, _again_. But he had one last idea.

"Perhaps, but _I_ am _smarter_."

"Oh, yeah? So what! I'm--" Mallory's jaw dropped open, and narrowed her eyes at Wade. She took a big step toward him, so their faces were merely inches apart. "I am_so_ not falling for that!" Mallory had just destroyed Wade's last idea. "You think you're so smart! I know how your mind works!"

Wade stifled a laugh. "You don't even know how your mind works."

"_Uh_!" The furious blond interjected, and moved a couple inches closer to this male that was making her so angry, putting her hands on her hips. Now there was barely two inches of Narnian air separating their faces. They could feel the warm breath of the other caressing their faces.

"Whoa! Are you going to kiss me or something?" Mallory gave a small squeal, put her hands on Wade's chest, and pushed him back so they weren't so close. She had the last straw, and was about to admit defeat.

"Frankly, I would much rather kiss the horse," she spat, stormed down the hall, and out the stable door, nearly tripping on a bag of feed on her way out. She slammed the door so hard it surprised Victory who snorted and stamped his feet a few times. Matt gave a nervous laugh. That was worse than he predicted it to be.

"Well…I guess it's settled then. We'll leave at sunset."

* * *

It was about 7:00 and everyone was getting ready for their departure. Mallory was changing into the clothes she had arrived in Narnia in: a hot pink and white track jacket, stone washed jeans, and white running shoes. She just pulled on her track jacket, and zipped it up, when she sat down on the edge of the bed covered with a silky canary yellow comforter. She still didn't want to go home, but she couldn't stay in Narnia forever. She'd have to go home eventually. _Jeeze, Wade must think I'm an ass after how I acted this afternoon._ Mallory was no longer mad at Wade, she was mad at herself for overreacting. She forced herself a grim smile and sighed, trying to push the events of the afternoon from her head when another entered. Matt! She was going to miss him so much. She had only known him for barely a day, but he was beginning to feel like the brother she lost. The hole in her heart was slowly beginning to mend, only to be ripped apart again. The 14 year old girl stood up, and walked over to the full length mirror lined up against one of the walls. She looked at her reflection, wiped a tear off her cheek, and straightened her shirt. _I guess I should go find Wade then._ But much to Mallory's surprise when she opened her door Wade was already there waiting. Wade watched as she shut the door, and the lantern that was always kept burning in each room, be shut out of view. 

"Mallory…"

"Wade, wait. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. I overreacted. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Wade looked into Mallory's beautiful eyes, and could see she was truly sorry.

"It's alright. I forgive you. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled, either. You must think I'm an ass." Mallory chuckled, remembering that she thought the same thing. "But I was just wondering why did you want to stay here so badly?"

"Oh, I don't know. Narnia is just so great. It's magical; I guess I just got caught up in this world and didn't want to go back to my own," Mallory lied. This wasn't the _real_ reason.

"Yeah. This place is pretty magical." There was an uneasy silence between them. Then Mallory saw what Wade had in his hand--the flashlight.

"Wade, I left my medallion on my dresser. I'm going to grab it, ok?"

"Alright," Wade answered, as she opened the door and went in, once again seeing the lantern glowing in the room. Then the door softly shut. Something just didn't seem right. A few seconds of silence passed, but they were suddenly interrupted. A hair raising scream erupted from Mallory's room. "Mallory?" Wade's heart beat began to quicken as he scrambled over to the door, and his shaking hands fumbled with the handle. He managed to turn it and pushed the door open. Something was definitely wrong. _Oh, shit…_

"Mallory!"

**A/N: So what did you think? Hmm, what is the real reason Mallory didn't want to go back to America? What about her brother? And what just happened to her? You'll just have to wait and see………. Remember to review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Gone

**I sort of rearranged my fanfic a couple of days ago. I combined chapters 2 and 3 because 2 was so short. And I fixed a couple of spelling errors, ect. Sorry it took a little longer to update than I intended it to take! I have no idea when I'll update next, but you can for sure count on a new chapter over Christmas vacation. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!**

**Disclaimer: None of Narnia is mine.**

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 7**

**Gone**

"Mallory?" Wade yelled again, only this time a little quieter and in a shakier voice. He stumbled blindly into the room. It was pitch black. The lantern was out.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed as he stubbed hit toe on something. _My flashlight! Of course!_ The teenager thought. He quickly turned it on and shown it about. His eyes darted around and saw no sign of Mallory. He walked over to the dresser. The medallion was gone. Then something caught Wade's attention from the corner of his eye. The curtains, they were fluttering in a breeze--_from outside_. He stumbled over to the window. It was open, revealing a colorful Narnian sky with the setting sun slowly moving to the horizon. _A perfect night, for…a kidnapping? But who…_

"Impossible," Wade muttered._ I've got to find Matt._ He made a 180 degree turn and sprinted out the doorway, down the hall, his feet pounding on the marble. He had just hurriedly rounded a corner when crashed head-on into Matt.

"Whoa there, Wade. What's the hu--"

"Mallory!" he choked. "She's…she's, _gone_!"

"What do you mean _gone_?" He could see the urgency in Wade's eyes.

"Didn't you hear that scream?" Wade was just beginning to regain his breath.

"I was in my office," the king replied.

"Didn't anyone else hear it then?"

"Nearly everyone is in the dining hall…" Wade was getting frustrated and heaved a great sigh.

"Follow me," he said, and then shot off back down the hall with Matt trailing behind.

They both reached Mallory's room in seconds time and stopped in the doorway, both trying to catch their breaths.

"We'd just met in the hallway when Mallory went back into her room to get the medallion you gave her," Wade said between deep, forced breaths. "Then she screamed, I went in, the lantern was out, the medallion was gone, and the window was open."

"Well, what happened to her?" Matt was now growing deeply concerned.

"I don't know, but..." Wade took a final deep and shaky breath, trying to collect his thoughts before he spoke again. "I think she was kidnapped."

"_Kidnapped_? By whom?"

"Well, Broady."

"Broady? Broady! How do you figure?" By now Wade really wished Mallory would have told the king what had happened between Broady and her. Then a horrid thought crossed his mind: since Mallory hadn't mentioned what happened, should _he_ have told Matt? Was all of this his fault? The teen shuddered at the thought.

"Remember when you told us that your dad said the medallion was pirates' treasure?"

"Yes…"

"And you told us that you didn't know _anything_ about Broady. Not where he lives, nor who he really _is_, right?"

"Right…" Wade was now ready to drop the bomb.

'This afternoon Broady bumped into Mallory and seemed extremely interested in the medallion. He even tried to steal it off her neck."

"So, you think Broady is a--_pirate_?" Matt shook his head and laughed.

"Yes, I do. You're just going to have to trust me on this one."

"But that still doesn't explain why you think Broady kidnapped Mallory."

"What's a pirate with out his treasure? He must have wanted, possibly needed, that medallion. So he kidnapped Mallory to get it."

"Wait, I thought you said Mallory went back into her room to _get_ the medallion? Why couldn't Broady just have stolen it? He didn't have to kidnap Mallory in order to accomplish that." Wade scratched his head, then ran his fingers through his hair. Matt was right; he hadn't thought of _that_.

"Well, I still think this was Broady's doing," Wade confirmed. Something in the pit of his stomach told him he was right.

"_Nooo_, I did not say I didn't believe what you concluded about Broady. I was just questioning why he had to kidnap Mallory." There was a long pause between the two. The only noise was the sound of the curtains billowing in the wind. The American walked over to the window and quickly looked at the setting sun. Only a small sliver was still above the horizon. It was already getting dark and he knew they would have to act fast if they ever wanted to find Mallory and her captor, whether it was Broady or not. Suddenly Wade got an idea.

"Where exactly did you find this medallion?"

"Ah, on the beach about three miles west of the castle."

"That's as good of a lead as any, because if Mallory told Broady or whoever-it-is where the medallion was found, they might be going there. It's just a wild idea."

"But Mallory didn't know anything about where I found it, except that I found it on the beach."

"Oh, yeah…" Matt then grinned at Wade and snapped his fingers.

"But suppose 'pirate Broady' has an entire _crew_ and _ship_. They could be floating just less than a mile off the coast in the sea near what used to be the most famous pirate ship spotting spot in Narnia."

"Let's go then!" Wade got a new burst of hope and was just turning to run out the door when Matt suddenly caught him by the arm.

"Wait, we have to be quiet and sneaky. I've already mentioned you being here has raised suspicious questions. If anyone saw us rushing through Cair Paravel, they'd know something was up. And even more, if they saw what you are wearing, they'd _definitely_ know you're not from here." Wade looked down at what he was wearing: his hockey jersey, jeans, and his hiking boots. This would be perfectly normal in his world, but this certainly was not part of his world.

"Alright…"

"Follow me," the king whispered, then snuck out the door.

Ten minutes and several close encounters later, the two were finally outside. Matt said the quickest way to travel would be by horse, so they were headed to the stables. When they got inside the king went and took a beautiful stallion named Sampson from his stall and lead him over to where Wade was standing.

"You know how to?" Matt asked as he pointed to the saddles and reigns that were hanging on the wall. Wade nodded his head. "His are the second from the end," he said over his shoulder as he walked to Victory's stall.

"Wait, where's--oh no!"

"What?"

"Thunder's gone…" Matt sighed. "We don't have time to worry about that now though." He reached Victory's stall and lead him to where Wade was tacking up Sampson. In a few minutes both horses and riders were ready for their departure. They were just sneaking out the back door when Matt stopped.

"Weapons. You must have a weapon to defend yourself." He hurriedly walked over to a cabinet mounted on one of the walls. The king opened the doors, revealing five swords inside. All the swords were identical. A blood red and golden yellow design with Aslan imprinted on the handle, and a silver blade that shown with every bit of light that touched it. Matt grabbed only one that was to be for Wade because he already had one in his sheath resting at his hip. Then he grabbed a brown leather sheath that was hanging up on the other side of the cabinet, and walked back to Wade. Matt held the sheath out and the American took it and slipped it around his waist. Then the king carefully gave him the sword. Wade held the handle tight as he turned it so the flat of the blade was facing him. He could see his reflection, and looked into his own eyes. He could see his own fear that had moments ago risen in him, though he hoped it wasn't obvious to Matt. Wade quickly lowered the sword and shakily thrust it into its sheath.

"You ready?" Matt asked. Wade nodded. He saw the king motion for him and Sampson to exit the door first, so he obeyed. Matt walked Victory out the door next, then he went back and poked his head into the doorway and blew out the lantern, softly closing the door behind him.

**A/N:** **So how was that? Do you dig it or diss it? Tell me! Give me some good criticism I can work with! So…who do YOU think kidnapped Mallory? Was it really Broady? Or someone…_else_? Will Matt and Wade be able to rescue her? Or will they be too late? _Hehe…her fate rests in my hands…_**


	8. Chapter 8: Matt, Love, and Death

**Well, here we are--the last few days of December and the last few of the year. I promised I'd update on the 23rd (my first day of Christmas vacation) so here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Narnia, no matter how much I want it all!**

**THE BLACK FIRE**

**Chapter 8**

**Matt, Love, and Death**

Wade, Matt and their steeds tried to be as quiet as humanly possible with the exception of the grass crunching and twigs snapping under their feet. They were making their way to the forest surrounding Cair Paravel. Just after entering the shelter of the dense forest, they stopped and Matt told Wade his plan.

"Alright," he whispered. "Long ago a part of the Great Eastern Ocean known as Glasswater was a common place to see pirates. I figure that if Broady is really a pirate and he kidnapped Mallory, that's where he _could_ be. It's only about 6 and a half miles away, so we'll get there in no time, and if that's where they are we'll wait til morning before we do anything so we know what we got ourselves into.

"Sounds fine to me," Wade agreed. His night vision had developed after they departed from the stables and was no adjusting again to the even darker atmosphere of the forest. He thought it was like being enveloped in a blanket of a quiet, still darkness. Wade could see the patch of moonlight near where they entered, but he felt like he was far away from safety and all alone, even though the king of Narnia and two horses were right next to him. Suddenly the feeling of paranoia you get when you feel your being watched or followed flooded over him. The American glanced around, his eye's darting from tree to tree expecting to see _something_, but instead saw nothing. His search ended when he heard Matt mount his horse, and expertly mounted Sampson. Wade wasn't an 'expert' rider, but he had been riding before on most of his family's summer camping trips, and he learned quickly. Matt looked in his direction and Wade nodded, signaling he was ready. The Narnian and Victory slowly began down an overgrown path, gradually picking up speed, with Wade following close behind.

* * *

Neither spoke for a very long time. Both were listening to the sound of the horses' hoofs pounding on the earth. Wade thought they had been riding for a couple of hours and was just about to mention it when Matt and his horse slowed up and unexpectedly burst through the trees and into a clearing. Silvery moonlight was covering the ground. They both were glad to be able to see clearly again. 

"We'll just rest a while here, then be on our way again."

"Great," Wade said as he slid off Sampson. Moments later Matt did the same and walked over to a big oak tree. He leaned his back against its trunk and slowly slid down into a sitting position. Wade gave Sampson a reassuring pat, and then sat down next to Matt. A few minutes passed before either of them spoke.

"You worried about Mallory?" the King asked.

"Uh huh," Wade confirmed. "You?"

Matt nodded his head. "You have a thing for her, don't you?"

Wade jerked his head so he was looking at King Matt. "Huh?"

"You know, like her?"

The 14 year-old hesitated with his answer. "_Maybe_… Ok, _yeah_, why?"

Matt grinned a boyish grin. "I was just wondering. After all, it's sort of obvious."

"_How?_"

"Oh please," the older boy joked. "You're talking to a true professional here!"

"Ha! Professional, huh? Well, have you ever been in love?" Wade was startled when Matt didn't answer right away. He was even more startled when Matt's tone had went from jokingly to solemn in a matter of seconds.

"Yes… Her name was Juliana. We were deeply in love."

"Well, what happened? If you are in love with her why haven't I heard anything about her?" Again, Matt was slow with his response. Wade was surprised when he looked at the King's youthful face; it was still the same face, but it appeared to be filled with immense pain and grief.

"I said we _were_ in love."

_Oh, so something happened. _Wade thought. Maybe _I shouldn't have asked that question… _He sighed. _Should I just keep my mouth shut or say something? Hmm…_

"Have you ever wondered what happened to my parents or why I--a 16 year-old boy--is ruling Narnia?" Matt paused, but didn't allow enough time for Wade to answer. "First I'll start with my mother, Annika. It's rather simple: I was 4 years old and she died in child birth, along with the child."

"I… I'm really sorry."

The King sighed. "I _wish_ that was the end of it. But almost a year after my mother's death, my father, Michael--the grand King of Narnia--married the most _stupid, cocky, ignorant, vile_ person I have ever met that was practically _young enough to be my older sister_! Her name was Victoria and she was some 'important' noble from Aslan-knows-where. She hated me and I returned the favor.

Wade got some pretty 'interesting' images in his head when he thought about a younger Matt terrorizing his step mother.

"From then on my father was the only person I considered to be my friend because _Victoria_ convinced all the members of the royal court and anyone else she and my father knew that I was a _terrible_ child and needed some 'straightening out.' She was a terrible person. She even _banished_ the native Talking Animals of Narnia. Anyway, the years went by and about two years ago I met Juliana. She was the Princess of Archland and is still the most _wonderful, smart, beautiful_ woman I have ever met to this day. We became really close, _blah, blah, blah_, and eventually we fell deeply in love. Marriage had been mentioned several times, but that would be a few years down the road. Then 8 months ago, my father and Victoria were invited to go to the castle in Archland to help prepare for the annual royal ball. I begged to go, too, for I wanted to see Juliana. But, my father would see nothing of that; I had to stay at Cair Paravel and 'watch over the place.' Victoria was ecstatic that I wasn't going along because then she's have my father all to herself. _That little witch…_" Matt commented under his breath. He stopped talking for a few seconds. After he sniffed his nose and took a deep breath he continued. Wade noticed that when Matt began talking this time, he continued with a more solemn voice than he had before; almost making him sound as if he would cry.

"So, I stayed at the castle and they went to Archland. Three days went by with no word from them. Then I got news that Archland's castle was ambushed by a group of rebel giants." Matt chocked out his next words with great difficulty. "_There were no survivors._"

Wade's breath was momentarily caught in his throat. _So, Matt's parent's and Juliana died. That's got to really suck…_ He now knew the summary of Matt's life and how much hell he'd went through. He was the King because his father _and_ his first wife _and_ second wife both died. Narnia needed a ruler, and Matt was the first heir to the thrown. _What a terrible way to become king!_ The American thought.

"That's… that's gotta be really tough. I guess I don't know what else really to say. I mean no one that close to me has died. But, I know Mallory--"

"Look, Wade, we've got to get moving. We've already spent more time here than I intended to. Come on." Matt slowly stood up, rubbed his eyes with his hands and quickly ran his fingers through his hair, trying to shake off those memories. Wade just stayed where he was, still thinking through what Matt had told him.

"You coming?"

"Uh, yeah," Wade stood up. He would just have to not make a big deal about Matt's past because, to Wade, that seemed to be the way the King wanted it to be.

* * *

After leaving the clearing they made good time. Along the way Wade still felt uneasy. Partially because of what Matt told him. But mostly what was eating at him was still the feeling that they were being watched or followed. Only an hour later they reached Glasswater. With the moonlight they were able to pinpoint a large, mysterious silhouette of a ship, lazily floating out in the peaceful waters. Now, all they had to do was wait for morning to see what they were up against. 

**A/N: Well? How was that? Review please! Hmm, now some stuff to think about until next time: Is something following Wade and Matt or is Wade just paranoid? What is awaiting them on the ship floating out in the water? Why did Wade mention Mallory when he was talking about how he didn't know what it was like to loose someone close to them? You'll just have to wait and see! **


	9. Chapter 9: The Deliverance

**A/N: Hehe, wow… I finally updated! LOL Sorry for leaving you guys in the dark for so long. Ok, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! I have decided to change a few things in the previous chapter and a few details in the beginning and such. There might even be a name change (?). So if some of this stuff doesn't make sense to you now it _will_ after I change the other stuff. So don't freak on me if you don't get something or if something doesn't coordinate with something else I wrote previously, it will make sense next time I update! Promise! Now, enough of my rambling. ENJOY! **

**Disclaimer:** Narnia is all Lewis'

**THE BLACK FIRE **

**Chapter 9 **

**The _Deliverance_ **

A bright ray of Narnian sunlight rested on Wade's face, and his eyes fluttered open only to be temporarily blinded. Cursing the daylight, he shut his eyes not wanting it to be morning yet, but defying his thoughts, he slowly stood up and stretched. The American looked around and saw the slumbering King resting against a tree only a few yards away. Yawning, he then walked between two trees and stepped out onto Glasswater's sparkling white sandy beach. Wade made his way to the water's edge, letting the high tide roll over his shoes. A lump began to form in his throat as he looked at the large, dark ship floating about a half mile out in the water. It looked so sinister, so forbidden with its dark wood frame, black tattered sails, and the eerie shadow it cast on the water.

The teen's thoughts were interrupted by a moaning noise as the King awoke from his sleep and rose to his feet. Seconds later he was standing next to Wade.

The Narnian looked out over at the ship. "So that's it, huh?"

"I guess." Wade replied kicking his foot into the sand. "Goll, _why_ did I have to lead Mallory here in the first place? Then this never would have happened." He said mostly to himself, but partially to Matt.

"Everything's going to be alright." Wade was then reassured by a pat on his back. "I suppose we should get out there then. How do you feel about swimming?"

"Considering swimming is the only choice we _have_," the American paused and shrugged his shoulders, "might as well give it a go." Both males then sat down on the warm sand and began taking off their shoes.

"There is one thing I think I should warn you about, Wade," the King began with a small smirk building on his face. "We have to be careful when we get farther out in the water because that's where the sea serpents and sharks tend to roam."

Wade's eyes grew wide and stared at the King in disbelief with his mouth half open, but soon relaxed when the Narnian started to laugh.

"I'm just fooling with you!" he chuckled, obviously pleased with his joke. Grinning, Wade just shook his head and continued taking off his shoes. Matt then continued in a grave voice. "They usually prefer to roam the coastline."

Wade laughed mockingly and threw a handful of sand at the jokester. "_Very funny_."

Still amused at this conversation, Matt stood up, brushed the sand out of his brown hair, and pulled his tunic up and over his head, revealing his tanned and fit upper body. Wade then rose and did the same, shedding his shirt and bearing his moderately tanned skin and decent muscles, proof of the hard work he did on the family farm that summer. Suddenly a noise of a startled horse cut through the air.

"What was that? It sounded close," Wade inquired with look of puzzlement.

"Ha, it's Thunder." The King pointed over to a prickly bush where the large black horse was trying to eat the fruit on the it's sharp branches. The horses' saddle and bridal were all askew, and his tail and mane were adorned in thorny plants, twigs, and leaves. "We're definitely in the right place," the King confirmed grimly. "Broady or whoever-it-is-that-supposedly-kidnapped-Mallory stole Thunder and used him as a means of transportation."

"Should we tie him where Victory and Sampson are?"

"Oh, he'll be all right until we get back."

"Well," Wade began with a serious look pasted on his face, "let's get this party started."

* * *

Swimming their eleventh interval of thirty seconds underwater, both Wade and Matt's heads popped above Glasswater's cool water.

"I swear this water is getting colder by the second," Wade managed to say between chattering teeth and tired breaths as he treaded water.

"I never said it was going to be warm. We're almost there. See? Can even read her name."

"_Deliverance_," the younger said quietly.

"What an _appropriate_ name," Matt replied sarcastically, then quickly switched gears. "Alright, let's swim thirty more seconds, but swim fast and hard so we can reach the side of the _Deliverance_ undetected. Now, you see the netting off her side?" He pointed a now prune-like finger toward the netting and continued after Wade nodded. "Then we'll take a quick rest at the bottom, and climb up and see what's going on."

"Okay. Three. Two. One." Both males took a deep breath and plunged underwater.

* * *

Thirty seconds later, Wade and Matt were hanging onto the netting off the _Deliverance's_ side, trying to regain their energy. So far they had made it undetected. Minutes later Matt looked at Wade as he held his pointer finger to his lips signaling to be very quiet and then began to scale the netting making as little noise as a field mouse.

Unexpectedly, a gun shot pierced the silence, followed by an earsplitting scream and a commotion of running feet on deck, gruff voices, and strings of profanity that filled the air. Matt and Wade froze about 2 yards shy of the top of the deck. The American turned his head and looked at the King and nervously watched as his neck constrict as he swallowed.

"Hey," Wade whispered, but knew he didn't have to because of the uproar above, "why don't _we_ have guns?"

"Uh," Matt started uneasily, "the Calormen developed that sort of weapon in these parts, but the invention was never brought to Narnia because the Narnian court ruled it would make war and fighting unfair."

"_Squawk, awk… ooooo_. _Hoo ez theez?_"

"What the-" Matt's head jerked upward as he looked directly above him. There, perched on the _Deliverance's_ railing was a rather large Macaw peering down at the two.

"You don't think…" Wade asked in bewilderment as he stared up at the colorful bird.

"It-it couldn't. It wouldn't… _would_ it?" stammered the young King.

"_Oooowhowho do ve ave ere_?"

"Oh crap!" moaned Wade.

"Oh, _who's a good birdy_?" cooed Matt. "_Who's a g_-"

"_SQUAWK! SQUAWK! CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!_" called the Macaw.

"No, no, no. _Shh, shh_!" hissed Wade.

"_CAPTAIN MARCUS_!" the bird screeched one last time. The hubbub that was happening on the deck suddenly ceased at the animal's last _CAPTAIN MARCUS_, and all became quiet.

"What is it, Mr. Caw?" barked a deep, raspy voice. Then without warning, loud, heavy footsteps rang throughout the air as their owner walked slowly to the railing. And just as abruptly as the footsteps began they stopped. There was a brief silence that was proceeded by a clicking noise. Wade knew it to be the sound of a pistol being loaded.

The wide-eyed King elbowed the American in the ribs, and, once getting Wade's attention, he moved his lips to fit the word _jump_. Wade's stomach twisted into an even bigger knot when he looked down at the water about fourty feet below. He looked back up at Matt and shook his head in panic. The King's eye's got even bigger as he motioned with his hands a threat to push him off the netting. Wade looked down again, then back to Matt for reassurance who mouthed _after you_. He closed his eyes, and was just about to jump, when he subconsciously opened his eyes and looked up at 'Mr. Caw.' The American's heart nearly stopped, and his blood ran cold as he instead looked up at a man with a gruff disposition pointing a pistol at him and Matt.

The man's face broke out into an evil toothy grin displaying his yellow bicuspids. "Ello', boys. _What_ do you think you're doing?" he spat. "You both have two choices. One, you can jump now and I shoot ya. Or two, you come on board and I'll kill ya later."

Matt took a deep breath as he and Wade climbed the last few feet to the poop deck. "I think we'll take choice number two."

They both climbed over the railing and were greeted by Captain Marcus and two ruthless looking men who pinned their arms behind their backs.

As they were led by their captors to a pile of barrels, Mr. Caw could be heard cackling in the background. It appeared as if all of the _Deliverance's_ crew was on deck. They were a fierce looking bunch. Nearly every single one had a visible tattoo displayed on their body, and most of them had beards as well as stringy hair. There was a peg-leg here and an eye patch there, nothing too horrifying. But as Matt and Wade were led over to the barrels to be tied up, they paid little attention to the crew. For there, tied on a fancy, high-backed chair near the starboard side of the ship sat Mallory. All except for a medium sized scrape on her cheek, she looked perfectly fine. She sat dumbfounded as both members of her search party was tied to a barrel and forced to sit on the wooden floor. The friends all exchanged worried glances as the Captain made his way over to his two new captives.

"What brings you two to my ship?" the pot-bellied Captain inquired. Neither answered. "Very well then," he sneered as he turned his back and walked over to Mallory's chair.

"My dear, I have an idea that--"

"You need a _brain_ to have an idea," mocked Mallory. Wade and Matt both stifled a small laugh at Mallory's comment and Captain Marcus' appalled expression.

"As I was _saying_," the Captain continued, "I believe that these two came here to rescue… _you_. Am I correct?"

The two new captives held their breaths as Mallory pondered her answer. "I'm afraid I don't know either of them," she replied matter-of-factually.

Lowering his voce, the Captain leaned in and looked Mallory square in the eye. "I highly doubt that," he hissed. "Broady!" he then ordered. Wade and Matt jumped at the name and looked over as a dark haired man made his way through the crowd and over to his leader. "Take the boy," the Captain made a vague gesture over to his new captives. "Untie him. Shackle his feet together and attach a weight."

"Yes, sir. But, which boy?" replied a stone-faced Broady.

"The blond-haired one, you fool. Don't you know? The other one is _the King of Narnia_. I have a different death sentence more appropriate for a _King_." the Captain leered.

Broady saluted as he walked over to Wade and began to until him from the old whisky barrel.

"_No_," choked Mallory in a soft voice as tears began to rim her eyes. Just as the tears started to flow freely, a loud voice startled her.

"Captain!" the King of Narnia said in a commanding voice. "_Please_, spare my friend. I will go in his place." The now free Wade gawked at his new crony as the Captain pondered this proposal.

"Fine, fine. Let's just get on with this. Broady, _retie_ the boy. Chip, _untie_ the _King_." Chip, a short, red haired man marched over to Matt and began to until him.

As Wade was brutally retied to his barrel he looked at Matt's face. It was steadfast and unwavering. "_Matt_…" he managed to say. Matt looked over at Wade. The American looked him right in the eye and could see sadness etched on the King's face. Once Matt was free from the barrel he was forced to his feet and led over to another ship mate who was ready to shackle the King's feet and attach the weight.

Wade felt so helpless as he sat tied to his barrel only able to watch everything unfold. He could faintly hear Mallory's crying through the pirate's loud voices. By now most of the crew was surrounding Matt where they were mocking him and calling him names. Wade could feel a familiar lump building in his throat.

"Now," began the Captain as he casually walked over to the weeping Mallory, clearly enjoying his torture, "see, you _do_ know these boys, don't you?"

Mallory squinted her red eyes at the vile man. "You are a cruel, cruel, man," she managed to say between sobs.

"I'm so sorry you feel that way. But I'm only doing one's duty. I found all three keys, but you refused to tell me where you found yours." With a motion of his hand, Matt was pushed onto the plank that was attached to the Deliverance. He was a bit hunched over as he struggled to hold the metal weight attached to his shackles.

"So, I'll ask you one last time, little miss. _Where did you find the key_?"

"I'll never tell!" Mallory nearly screamed.

"Very well," replied the Captain casually. "Young King, you may walk the plank!"

All the crew began to chant as Matt staggered down to the end of the board. He paused when he was at his last step and hung his head. Then took the remaining step, plunging deep down into the water.

**A/N: Soooo…. how was that? Sheesh! That took me forever to write. I'm not even kidding! Now, some things to think about: What will happen to Matt? And what the heck is up with the keys the Captain Marcus was talking about? Mallory seemed to know… And most importantly how will Mallory and Wade escape? Remember to review! ;-)**

**erin!**


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